Selective Nerve Block

A selective nerve block may be performed to help diagnose and/or treat radicular pain (pain related to irritation and inflammation of a nerve serving a particular area of the body). You may need these injections to decrease your pain so that appropriate physical therapy and exercises can be performed for your long-term treatment. Also the nerve blocks allow identification of target sites to direct future care. You may experience numbness and/or relief from your symptoms for up to 6 hours after the injection. Your usual symptoms may then return and may possibly be worse than usual for a day or two.

It may take 3-7 days before you will be able to feel any effects from the medication. If there is no change in your symptoms after 2 weeks, your doctor may want to investigate other possible sources for your pain.